C325 Pledging Loyalty

At first, the fight looked weak. Even the punches they threw lacked power and precision. It was obvious that neither woman had any real fighting experience. However, after a few exchanges, both Samantha and Faith began to find their footing. The crowd cheered loudly. Even Chris was cheering for Samantha, while Laura quietly laughed. She looked at him and teased, "So you're cheering for your enemy now?"

Chris grinned. "I'm only cheering for my wife's company. Even if they knock out one of her teeth, I won't feel sorry for her. She deserves it." Laura and Sarah burst out laughing. Soon, the fight reached its climax. Samantha landed a sharp punch that left Faith dizzy for a moment. Seeing the opportunity, Samantha quickly moved forward, took Faith to the ground, and locked her down. Faith had no choice but to tap out. The entire hall went quiet. Only Sarah and Chris were laughing. Samantha and Faith shook hands before stepping out of the ring.

I took the microphone and addressed the employees. "Well, my fellow employees, I hope today has made you realise that our fighting skills are weak. When war comes, none of us would want to face an enemy with our current combat abilities." The employees began whispering among themselves. I continued, "My wife has made the effort to ensure that this training facility becomes successful. I hope those of you who volunteer will take it seriously. However, I want to make one thing very clear. Personal fights will not be encouraged here. We are one family. We should train together and fight the same enemy, not fight against one another."

I looked toward the two departments. "Development Department and Production Department, I hope that was only a friendly competition and nothing serious." Everyone laughed. I then stepped into the ring and took a stack of contracts from my bag. "If there is anyone here who wants to sign today, please feel free to come forward. I will give you the microphone so you can publicly state that you are not being forced. After that, you will choose the contract you want to sign." Everyone nodded. Laura was the first person to step forward.

Her short, slender figure stood confidently on the stage as I handed her the microphone. She introduced herself. "I am Laura Gomez, the Chief Designer of Nova Blaze Jewelry." Whispers immediately spread throughout the hall. "I knew she looked familiar." "Wasn't she dating our Vice Director?" "Didn't she even get him arrested?" Others admired her work and recognised her as the designer behind Nova Blaze Jewelry. Laura ignored the whispers and continued. "I may work at Nova Blaze, but I will always make time to come here and train. Today, I will sign the second contract willingly. Nobody is forcing me to do this."

She paused and looked toward Alicia and me. "I promise to stand with Alicia and Mike through thick and thin. We will fight together, laugh together, and cry together. Today, I swear my loyalty to them." "I will sign the second contract." She signed the document and placed it into the box. Everyone froze for a moment. Laura stepped down. Then Samantha walked onto the stage. "Good afternoon, everyone." Whistles and cheers immediately filled the hall. "Champion!"

Samantha smiled. "I am Samantha Wood. Today, I pledge my loyalty to both Alicia and Mike. Many things have happened between us, but I hope this will be the beginning of a happy friendship." She took a breath before continuing. "I promise to fight and even die for them, just as I hope they would do the same for me. Nobody calls for trouble, but problems can find you when you least expect them. Nobody understands what another person is going through completely. Sometimes, it takes bravery for someone to accept you as you are, including your mistakes, and help you instead of constantly blaming you."

She looked at Alicia. "Today, I will sign the second contract and pledge my loyalty to them." Chris froze. Laura's decision had already surprised him, but Samantha's declaration made things even more serious. I was also surprised. I looked at Laura, who had just stepped down from the stage, and asked, "Will Bright agree to this?" Laura nodded. Samantha signed the contract and stepped down. Chris immediately jumped onto the stage. He smiled at everyone. "The Vice Director of Wood IT Company pledges loyalty to his brother."

He paused and looked directly at me. "Brother, you know I will never let you fight alone. We will train together, harder and harder, so that we can survive every challenge thrown at us. Today, I will also sign the second contract willingly." He signed and stepped down. A huge round of applause erupted throughout the hall. Then Sarah stepped onto the stage. Her large pregnancy belly was impossible to miss, and everyone immediately began whispering. Sarah smiled as she took the microphone. "Good afternoon, everyone. I am Director Sarah Wood."

The hall became quiet. She continued. "Today, I pledge my loyalty to my in-laws." She paused before smiling. "My husband have just signed the second contract. However, as you can all see, I am pregnant. I will not make my life or my baby's life unnecessarily difficult." She placed a hand over her belly. "Therefore, I will sign both contracts. The first contract will be for now. Since I am pregnant, I will train lightly. The second contract will only become valid after I have given birth." She smiled and stepped down. A large round of applause immediately filled the hall.

Some employees whispered among themselves. "The Director of Wood IT Company signed?" "If she is willing to sign such a difficult contract while she is pregnant, then who am I to be afraid?" "My life is no more important than hers." More employees began lining up. Faith also stepped forward. She took the microphone. "I am the Head of Human Resources. Today, I willingly pledge my loyalty to the Director and Vice Director. I may be weak right now, but I promise to train harder alongside everyone else so that I can become stronger."

She looked around the hall. "Today, I will also sign the second contract willingly. Nobody has forced me to do this." She signed the contract and stepped down. Whistles and applause echoed throughout the hall. The women who had initially been hesitant began changing their minds. Not everyone was brave enough to sign the second contract, but more than thirty employees came forward and signed the first contract. Most of them were women. Another twenty or so employees stepped forward and pledged their loyalty to Alicia and me by signing the second contract.

Alicia was more than happy to see so many people willingly supporting us. She hugged Samantha tightly. "Thank you." Then she hugged Laura as well. However, this time, she whispered into her ear. "Discuss this with Bright first. He needs to understand the risks of the contracts too." Laura smiled and nodded. "I have already made up my mind. But I will still talk to him." Soon, it was time for everyone to knock off. I smiled and addressed the employees one final time. "Thank you, everyone, for attending today's opening. I hope you enjoyed it, and thank you to everyone who signed."

I looked around the hall. "To those who did not sign, it is never too late. This is your choice. Nobody is being forced. As long as you genuinely want to do it, you can sign at any time." With that, the opening ceremony came to an end. Soon, everyone began leaving the Training Hall.